Thank you Candlewick Press & NetGalley for sending me an ARC of The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I want to start this review off by saying I am a brown woman and in no way do I want to speak over Black people on these issues faced in the book and in our general society. I have the sincerest amount of respect, love, and admiration for the people who are continuing to fight for equality and the end of white supremacy. While I have experienced racism, microaggressions, and police aggression because of my ethnicity, I know it is statistically more likely for Black people to be persecuted and that this book is centered around their issues.

Starting off, the dedication and preface made my heart melt. We see a man who is (as he also states it) exhausted. This battle is exhausting. We see someone who knows that the fight for equality is a long and brutal road and sympathizes for his brother and the younger generation of BIPOC who will one way or another realize this. I think every BIPOC has the first defining moment/experience when they truly realize the weight and hatred of their mere existence causes. We get our first meeting with a man who has had his lifetime of moments, of fears and hatred felt. To me at least, this really humanizes Joseph. While this is nonfiction and I'm well aware he is in fact a real person, from the get-go he approached the book as someone you would want protesting beside you, fighting with you, grieving with you. There were points in the book I just wanted to turn to him as if he was there and scream "YES! THIS IS IT! THIS IS THE VALIDATION AND SHARED KNOWING OF AN EXPERIENCE WITH EMOTIONS I COULD NEVER HAVE PUT TO WORDS BEFORE!! I WILL FIGHT WITH YOU". There is no disguise to him, he is just like us. He is tired like us, he is angry like us, he is frustrated and scared like us. His words are raw and cut deeply as they should.

The book takes us through 10 chapters that chronicle real issues the author faced. It is so refreshing to me to be able to read a book about race that is relevant, that mentions modern-day issues, past reflection, and future calls to action. I try to educate myself the best I can on different races, ethnicities, minorities, and injustices. From reading countless articles, books, watching documentaries, news sources, and listening to those affected, I can truly say that this is such a new and relevant take on race and we should all deeply consider picking up the book when it comes out (tomorrow, I believe!).

A book worth picking up and one I would definitely recommend, especially to adults who may need an extra nudge (or forceful push) to be respectful and not racist.

This is one best books I've read on race and anti-racism this year. Mr Joseph is an engaging and empathetic writer. While I found his experiences as a black man in the US infuriating and heart-breaking, it was an honour to be allowed to hear them. He explains issues from white supremacy to microaggressions clearly and with concrete examples. I especially loved the encyclopaedia in the back. As an older woman living outside the US for the past 10 years, I needed some of his cultural references explained. I'm the geriatric who knew who Stokely Carmichael and Thurgood Marshal were. The message is powerful and heartfelt. I was especially confronted by the fact that while white men have the most power, white women have the most privilege. I'd never seen that before but it's undeniably true. The interviews with prominent figures throughout are enlightening. I foresee rereading this many times.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

This was such an excellent book. I read it in bursts on my lunch break, easily picking up where I left off to get lost in the accessible tone and voice Frederick Joseph uses in his storytelling (and educating). His authenticity and frankness made this book refreshing, even when he shared heavy and heartbreaking themes. Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Black Friend in exchange for an honest review.

Incredible. Yes, I was uncomfortable reading it, but it is 2020 and Breonna Taylor will never see justice, I think I can be okay with feeling uncomfortable and confronting my white privilege. .

NetGalley ARC | The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph is one of the December 2020 book releases you don’t want to skip, especially if you've committed to doing antiracist work as a white person.

Joseph discusses racism and how to be a better white person, drawing from interviews and conversations with prominent and powerful members of the Black community.

What makes The Black Friend such a strong Antiracism 101 book is how Joseph uses his own personal stories to show racist policies and forces in full effect -- and how to combat white supremacy.

See our full review on The Uncorked Librarian along with more December 2020 book releases here: https://www.theuncorkedlibrarian.com/december-2020-book-releases/

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing TUL with a free and advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I found this book to be quite compelling. Frederick Joseph sets out to be the "Black friend" who helps the reader to do better and be better around issues of racism. He spoke directly and honestly to the reader about his experiences growing up Black. Joseph's friendly and informal tone made his stories and ideas accessible to a teen reader.

I received a free ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I don't say this about many ARCs, but I will definitely buy a copy of this book when it comes out.

A very informative read on the history of America and racism. It is important to become more educated on the experiences that Black people go through, and how I as a non-Black POC can help with making sure there's steps taken towards anti-racism. I highly recommend this book for an insightful and easy-to-digest read on racism.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Black Friend in exchange for an honest review.

In The Black Friend, author Frederick Joseph seeks to educate white people on how to become better people by improving their perceptions of and actions towards racial minorities (obviously mostly Black specific racism, but this book does also extend to other racial minorities in a lot of its chapters) through a combination of personal antidotes, interviews with other Black people & activists, an Encyclopedia of Racism that teaches the reader about terminology and important figures/events not well covered, and various calls to action and further research.

Joseph frames everything here in such a consumable, yet impactful way. It really feels as if he's sitting down with you specifically to talk to you about his experiences with racism and how you can improve to make the world a better place for other members of racial minorities. Non-fiction is normally a daunting genre for me since as a student, I read a lot of very dry, overwhelmingly detailed non-fiction, but Joseph takes on a conversational and occasionally comedic tone that has you hooked from beginning to end and really forces you to engage with this book.

This books was amazing. I enjoyed reading it a lot because I learned more about racism in the United States and also I learned about Black culture and how racism affects it.
Frederick Joseph's style of writing is very direct and easy to understand, which I believe is perfect for this book because the idea is that people reading it can learn from it and become better people who start taking action against systemic racism. It is a really didactic book and I loved haow it includes its own encyclopedia at the end with definitions of different terms mention by Frederick throughout the book. Moreover, I loved how the author sometimes paused his narration to explain somthing he was talking about or to request the reader to go search a certain tv show, historical event, song so they could have a better understanding of the situation he was describing. Not only did I learn about how to be antirracist but also I finished this book with a whole lists of things to go check out that will enable me to learn more about Black Culture and its history.
I totally recommend this book to anyone white out there who is willing to comprehend how racism works, how it affects poeplo of colour worldwide and in The United States specifically, and who wants to become antirracist and help balck people but doesn't know how. I think this book is a good starting point because you can educate yourself and then start taking action and become, as Frederick says in the book, not an ally but an accomplice. It's not enough to not be racist, we have to be antiracist.

You know those times when a white person has a Black friend, so they ask their Black friend every question they have about race rather than educating themselves on the topic? Frederick Joseph is prepared to be that Black friend for all those white people so that their other Black friends no longer have to listen to those questions.

It’s split into several different helpful and topical chapters. It’s easy to read and reads in a way that will connect with teens. Also, need a definition for that word? There’s a glossary of terms in the back! Super helpful. As a white person, I will recommend this one. Definitely picking up a copy for each library branch.

Nothing I could possibly say could give this book justice. Read it. Seriously, go and read it. And keep reading it. Keep talking about it. It's an amazing book and so important in this world. Five stars is definitely not enough for it and I will take me all of this book to heart like every white person reading this book should. It's very educational and a definite Must Read in times like these. Actually, it's always a Must Read because racism has been existing for far too long.
I received an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

By turns funny, painful, uncomfortable, and hopeful, The Black Friend joins the rapidly growing catalog of books on anti-racism. Reading Joseph’s anecdotes, asides, and conversations with peers (at the end of each chapter) is much like hearing from friends—if your friends were committed to learning from each other. There’s even a glossary to help folks unfamiliar with this process (and a playlist!). While billed as a YA work, adults might also learn a thing or two.